Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-28
WOOL IN THE UNITED STATES
,me Interesting Figures from the Bureau

some Interesting Figures from the Bureau
of Statistics.
WASHINGTON, d. c., October % The
printed report OF Col. w. F. SwitLler,
Chief Of the Bureau OF Statistics, on wool
shows that the number Of sheep in the
United States rose from 10, OOO, 900 in lH4O,
to 81, OO9, 900 in lSS4, but declined to
10, 600, 900 in in 1857. This marked de-
cline occurred mainly in the Southern
and Western States, mostly in
Texas, and is attributed in a great
part 10 the decline in the price
of wool since 1854. Great Britain being
the leading wool market Of the world, has
always been the principal market fOr our
purchases of wool Turkey and Russia
have also been important sources OF direct
supply, bat the Argentine Republic Is
now, next to Great Britain, our 50 URGE OF
supply, followed by Australia. Our i'm
ports of wool rose from LIS, 500 pounds
in 1872 to l14O3S, go pounds in 1881.
The increase of wool imports has about
kept pace with the growth of our wool
products. both being about doubled since
ls6O. From 1864 to 1858, l6l, 900, 900
pounds were prod uced and 43 600 600 i'm
ported; from 1874 TO 1873, l9s, 600, 600
we're produced and $4,000, 900 Imported
from 1852 to 1856. 297, OOO, 900 were pro-
duced and 100000 imported
| From 1872 to 1881 the annual
| imports OF wool ID manufacturers
averaged over 50, 900, 600 in value, or more
than seventy-one cents per capita; while
from 1892 to ls41 they reached over Sl4,
UOO. 600, or eiRhty-iour cents per capita.
| The value of our wooden product IN 1850
was S25, 900, 600, and Of our imports 50,
| 600 600, both together being Sl.95 per
| capita of our population. In 1850, f3S,
! 900 600 in value were produced and Sl3,
| 100 900 imported, together being about
81 81 In 1870 the product reached SllO,-
\ 900 900 and the impOrtations SIS, coo No.
being 1878 per capita. In 1880 the pro-
duct had gro Nn to 1854, 600 900, and the
imports were valued at S3l, 600, 600, being
S9l per capita.
Thus while our product Of woolens have
/ increased since 1850 nearly seven fold, ouI
imports have increased about 81 per cent,
but the consumption per capita has doubled
| which the statistician says indicates IN
striking manner the advancement OF wealth
and comfort in the style Of living among
the people of this country.
The statistics of imports and exports OF
woolens in the trade of foreign countries
show that the United Kingdom Is fore
most in the foreign trade IN woOlenS, tne
Imports during 1885 amounting IN value
to S49, OOO, 600 and the exports to Sll5,
600. 900. France comes next with IN
ports of S49, 600, 600 ana exports amount
ing. to S7s,OOO, 900; Germany next with
imports of SIS, COO, 900, and exports o
Sol, 900, 900. There has been large de
cline in the wooden trade of Great Britain
since 1874, rs shown by the exports, which
are as follows: Exports during the hv'
wears from 1870 to 1874, SIS, 100000
during the five years from 1880 TO 1854
S54o, OOO, 600, showing decline Of S2@9,
Zoo, 900, or 30 per cent, betweeR the tw'
periods. This decline, the Royal Commls
sion on the Depression of Trade, attributes
in part to the high foreign tariffs, which l
s claimed shut out the manufactures o
Great Britain from foreign markets.